Mzingo/Main article
Mzingo is an antagonistic vulture who appears in The Lion Guard. He is one of Janja's affiliates and the leader of a flock of vultures that resides in the Outlands. Biography ''The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar Mzingo serves as Janja's majordomo, reporting any suspicious activity to him. When he overhears Kion talking about the Lion Guard, he reports back to Janja, who launches an attack on the Pride Lands. During the attack, Mzingo is defeated by Ono, a member of the Guard, who knocks him into a bush. The Lion Guard "Can't Wait to be Queen" When Simba puts Kiara in charge of the Pride Lands, he expresses his worries to Nala. Unbeknownst to the two, they have been spied on by Mzingo, who resolves to keep an eye on the doings of the Pridelanders. Not long after this, the vulture observes Kion bad-mouthing his sister, and he decides to tell Janja what's going on. Traveling to Janja's den, Mzingo reports to Janja and explains that Kion and Kiara are fighting in the wake of Simba's departure. Janja decides to take advantage of the family struggles and instructs Mzingo to take a special message to Kiara. As Kiara looks out over her kingdom, Mzingo lands on the peak of Pride Rock and offers a peace proposal to the young queen. Though suspicious, Kiara listens as Mzingo tells her that Janja wishes to meet her at Broken Rock, which serves as neutral ground between the Pride Lands and the Outlands. Kiara promises to think the offer over, and Mzingo flies away. "Eye of the Beholder" During a meeting with his flock, Mzingo allows a late Mwoga to join. Mwoga quickly explains that Ono has lost his vision, and Mzingo calls for the flock to deliberate over how they should proceed. "The Search for Utamu" When Fuli overexerts herself on a mission, she becomes so exhausted that she collapses beneath the tree of Mzingo's flock. After the flock sings "All Hail the Vultures", they spot Fuli resting beneath their tree and resolve to make her into their next meal. Fuli is set upon on all sides by Mzingo and his flock, but just in time, the Lion Guard fights them off, and Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to blow the flock away. Once the vultures are gone, Fuli thanks her friends for saving her and promises to wait for them on the next mission. "Baboons!" While the Lion Guard is on patrol, they spot Mzingo and his flock circling in the distance. When they draw nearer, they see that the vultures are hunting a baby baboon. The team jumps into action, rescuing the baboon and scaring off the flock. After the rescue, Fuli is tasked with delivering the baby baboon to his troop. Along the way, she spots Mzingo and his flock, and hides in a field of tall grass with the baby baboon. Mzingo and his vultures catch a glimpse of the baby baboon and hear his shriek, which prompts them to search the field of grass for their quarry. Thinking quickly, Fuli instructs the baby baboon to cling to her underbelly while she pretends that she is out hunting. Mzingo questions her as to what she is hunting, and when she comments that Mzingo is looking rather plump, he takes off in a hurry. However, he returns shortly after Fuli delivers the baby baboon to Mapango Cliffs. Along with his cronies, Mzingo attacks the troop, ordering his minions to get the baby baboon while he dispatches of Fuli. Mzingo and Fuli engage in a struggle on the cliffs, but in the midst of the fight, the baby baboon strikes Mzingo with a fruit, giving Fuli the opportunity to jump down the cliffs and pin Mzingo to the ground. She orders him to call off his flock, after which he and his vultures fly away in a panic. "Ono and the Egg" Mzingo is mentioned by one of his minions, Mwoga, when the latter teams up with Mpishi the harrier hawk. "The Scorpion's Sting" Mzingo and the rest of the Army of Scar corner the Lion Guard in Janja's den. Kion uses the Roar of the Elders to clear a path to escape. Scar sends Mzingo and his parliament after the Lion Guard. However, the rest of the team arrives just in time to fend off the vultures, and Kion uses his roar to ensure that they are not delayed again. "The Kilio Valley Fire" In Kilio Valley, the Lion Guard tries to put out a widespread brush fire, but Mzingo and his vultures drop embers from the sky, making the task impossible. The Lion Guard spreads out, while Ma Tembo leads the herd out of the valley. However, she is cornered among the flames by Janja, Reirei, Kiburi, and their respective followers. Ono overhears Janja's cackling and reports what he's heard to Kion, who suspects Scar of causing the trouble. He then orders his team to protect the elephants, leaving Kilio Valley to the mercy of the fire. Later, in Kilio Valley, the fire dies down as the Army of Scar celebrates their victory. They begin to bicker among themselves, arguing over who had performed the best, when Scar suddenly arises from a still-burning ember and orders the army to remain in Kilio Valley. He then reveals that he plans to take over the Pride Lands piece by piece. Janja attempts to appoint himself leader of the army, but Kiburi, Mzingo, and Reirei protest vehemently. The villains then begin singing "I'm Gonna Run This Dump", in which they compete over who should be in charge of the valley. They continue to argue as the Lion Guard looks on. "Undercover Kinyonga" The Lion Guard waits on the border of the Outlands and the Pride Lands, when Ono suddenly appears, being chased by Mwoga and Mzingo. The vultures fail to catch him, and Ono lands safely among his teammates. "The Underground Adventure" Kion, Bunga, Kiara, Tiifu, and Zuri travel to the mudpots and play in the mud. Unbeknownst to the cubs, Scar orders Mzingo to set fire to the grasslands near them. "Fire from the Sky" When fire sticks begin raining down from the sky, Anga and Ono take off to investigate the problem. As they fly higher and higher, Ono is forced to retreat, while Anga soars ahead. Once above the clouds, she spots Mzingo and his parliament dropping fire sticks onto the Pride Lands below. Anga reports back to the Lion Guard, and Kion suggests that they rally the kingdom's birds to help stop the vultures. Ono suggests asking Hadithi for help. Hadithi agrees, leading his followers to where the Lion Guard has gathered to plan their next move. Once the birds and the Lion Guard have rallied, Hadithi inspires his followers to help stop the vultures. Together, they take off to thwart another attack, this time over the Maumivu Thorn Patch. During the fight, Anga gets wounded, and Hadithi and Ono rush to save her. However, Hadithi gets attacked by vultures and ends up falling into the thorn patch below. With no Hadithi to rally the birds, Ono takes up the mantle of leader and manages to lead the birds in another assault. They round up the vultures, and Kion uses his Roar of the Elders to banish them back to the Outlands. Physical appearance Mzingo is rather large for a vulture, nearly reaching Janja's shoulder in height. His feathers are colored a very dark blue, though his underside and wings are tipped with lighter blue, and he has a white ring of feathers around his neck. His head and neck are pink, and a blue crest rises from the back of his head in a swept-back spike. His eyes are black, and his beak is tipped with red. Personality and traits Mzingo is opportunistic and sneaky, as seen when he eavesdrops on Kion as he speaks about the Lion Guard. He shares a desire with the hyenas to eat at his leisure, no matter the effect on the Circle of Life, and cares nothing for the other animals of the Pride Lands. He has a dry and sarcastic demeanor, and he speaks with a sense of eloquence. Voice actors * 'The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar' - (2015) - (film) - Johnny Rees * 'The Lion Guard''' - (2016–2019) - (TV series) - Johnny Rees Gallery 2016-05-15-02_10_33.png 2016-06-16-19_58_14.png 2016-09-25-01_05_59.png Click here to view the rest of the gallery. References Category:Main articles